ASSAULT

05.02.12

80 Rapes Alleged at Montana Campus

Dave G. Houser / Corbis

The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it will be investigating Montana police, prosecutors, and the University of Montana at Missoula after complaints that authorities have not taken the allegations of sexual assault seriously. The Justice Department said that at least 80 rapes had occurred in the past three years in Missoula, and at least 11 of those involved University of Montana students in an 18-month period. Officials said they will investigate all sexual assaults in Missoula, not just the ones involving students. The two-prong investigation will also look into allegations of a pattern of gender discrimination relating to the sexual assaults.